Pneumatic action for player-pianos.



l E. c. .Hlscocr PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PIAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI-. ISI5.

1 ,246,096. APamnwl Nov. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. C. HISCOCK.

PNEUMATIC ACTION F03 PLAYER PIANOS.

. APPLICATION mw 14m15.191s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. Z J6 63432'v llmumm USSSQST E. c, Hascocx. PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I5. |915.

1 ,246,G96. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l im ran sfrnrns PATENT onnion.

EMORY C. HISCOCK, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS7 ILISSIGNOR TO JOHN C. FARWELLOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

y PNEUMATIOACTION FOIL PLAYER-PIANOS.

speeineation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

y Application inea May 15, 1915. serial No. 28,273.

To all 101mm t may concern.'

,Be it known that I, EMoRY C. Hisooox, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Actions f for Player-Pianos,*of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to theart of player pianos, and has reference more particularly to improvements in the pneumatic actions Vemployed in such instruments. Among the generally, to provide a more durable, sensitive and efficient player action than has heretofore been produced.

Other objects and advantages attained by the invention will be apparentfrom the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated one particular embodiment of the invention, and in which- Figure l1 is a vertical section throughthe wind chest and one of a tier of power pneumatics applied to the rear wallthereof, the other pneumaties of the tier appearing `in side elevation; the view also indicating the tracker range and winding rolls in cross section, with the tracker-rangetubes leading to the valve boxes of the power pneumatics.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, top plan view,

broken off at top and bottom, of a series of laterally adjacent pneumatics, with the wind chest shown in horizontal section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionof the wind chest and one of the pneumatics and its valve box, taken on the bent line 3-3 of Fig. 2. f f Fig. l is a vertical section through the controlling valve, on the line 4-4 of Fig.y 2.-

F ig. 5 is another vertical section through the primary valve, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is another vertical section through the tracker-range-tube nozzle and the duct connecting the same with the primary valve, asv seen on ythe line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the stationary leaf or side of the pneumatic, illustrating thev diaphragm. and valve chambers of the valve box formed therein.

Fig. 8 is a top perspective view of the combined valve box and stationary side of the pneumatic.y i

Fig. 9 is a detail view, in vertical axial section, through thev main controlling valve.

Fig; 10 is a detail view, in vertical axial section, through the primary valve.

Referring to the drawings, ldesignates the front wall, 2 the rear wall, and Bethe spacing or edge walls of the suction chamber or wind chest. range, 5 and 6 the music-sheet rolls. or spools, 7 the perforated music sheet traveling ,over'thetracker range l between the spools 5 and 6, and 8 thetracker-range tubes leading `from the ports of the tracker range to the valve boxes of the several power pneumatics that correspond to and actuate the notes of the instrument to be played.

The combined valve boxes and power pneumatics, with which my present invention is chiefly concerned, are mounted in tier arrangement and in close juxtaposition upon the rear wall of the wind chest, with which trolling valves of the pneumatics communicate in. the manner hereinafter explained. In carrying out `my. invention, I `form the upper stationary side of the power pneumatic and the valve box which contains the valves, ducts and ports by `which the pneumatic is controlled, in an integral cast-metal structure, type metal being preferably used..`

4 designates the tracker vlatter the diaphragm chambers of the con usual valve chamber 12 containing the controlling valve 13, this latter having a stem 14 resting upon the usual motor diaphragm 15 located within a diaphragm chamber 16 directly under the valve chamber 12; said valve playing between a lower valve-seat 17 and an upper valve-seat 18 formed on the under side of an annular metal cap-piece 19 that carries a felt or other porous disk 2O forming a cover to exclude dust and dirt. The housing of the controlling valve is suitably cored to provide a pair of ducts 21 connecting the valve chamber 12 with the power pneumatic through ports 23 in the lower face of the latter. chamber is provided. at uniformly spaced intervals with a series o' vertical posts 24, the main function of which is to engage the periphery of the valve disk 13 and accurately guide the limited movements of the latter between the lower valve-seat 17 and the upper valve-seat 18. On the circular wall of the valve chamber are also formed a series of cams 25, all sloping in the same circular direction, said cams being designed to coperate with depending lugs 26 formed on the lower edge of the annular body member of the cap piece. Said cap piece is snugly fitted to the open upper end of the valve housing with capacity for a turning movement so as to adjust, through the cams 25 and lugs 26, the distance between the lower and upper valve-seats 17 and 18, thereby regulating the extent or' play of the valve itself. Two of the valve guides 24 arelocated at opposite ends of two of the cams 25, whereby said guides also serve as stops to limit the turning movement of the cap piece to the length of the cams 25. The construction last described for adjusting the `distance between the valve seats is not claimed herein, but is fully shown and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 851,027, filed the 15th day of July, 1914.

The metal plate 9 formingr the stationary top side or leaf of the power pneumatic is provided with an integral, vertical flange 27 at one end, by which it is secured, through screws 28, to the rear wall 2 of the wind chest; and on said flange are cast a pair of hollow tenons 29, best shown in Fig. 2, that are snugly tted into holes 30 formed through said rear wall 2 of the wind chest, suitable washers 31 being employed to secure an air-tight joint between said hollow tenons and the wall of the wind chest. The bores of the hollow tenons 29 are continued inwardly, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, to communicate with the diaphragm chamber 16 of the controlling valve, and said hollow tenons constitute the principal means for rigidly supporting the valve box 4and pneumatic upon the wall of the wind chest,

the screws28 serving mainly as attachingV The controllingvalve means. It is obvious that, in lieu of the pair of hollow tenons, a single tenon ol larger cross-sectional area might be employed, but the construction shown is preferred, as not only reducing the size of the bore which forms the wind-chest duct or passage, but because a pair of tenons on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the supported structure holds said struc ture against any turning tendency irrespective of the fastening screws 28. described feature is also not herein claimed, but forms in part the subject matter of my companion application above identified.

The housing of the primary valve is formed with a vertically slotted, cylindrical wall, the slots being shown at 32 (see F ig. 8), and the upper edge of the housing is covered by a removable metal cap 33. The bottom wall of the valve housing is 'formed with an upper valve-seat 34 and a lower valve-seat 35, best shown in Fig. 5; and within the valve chamber 36 are a series otl spaced posts 37 that serve as guides for the upper disk valve 38. 39 designates the lower disk valve, connected to the upper disk valve 38 by a vertical stem 40, *which` plays through an enlarged bore 41 formed through the bottom wall of the valve housing. The disk valves 38 and 39 are formed on their upper and lower surfaces, respectively, with small teat-like projections 42, which, in the case of the lower valve disk 39, rest upon a thin disk 43 secured to the motor diaphragm 44 of the primary valve. The upper valve 38 coperates with the valve-seat 34, and the lower valve 39 cop crates with the valve-seat 35, and the purpose of making the valve disks 38 and 39 identical in structure is to enable the complete valve to be applied'either end up. Through the center of the disk 43 and motor diaphragm 44 is formed the bleed vent 45, the projections 42 on the lower face ot the valve disk preventing the latter from closing the bleed vent, and maintaining the operative condition of the latter at all times.

Extending `laterally from the primaryvalve housing, and slightly overhanging the rear 4end of the stationary bellows leaf.l 9 is an integral'arm 46, terminating in an upwardly turned' nipple 47 that couples with the tracker-range tube 8. The bore of this nipple 47 communicates with a downwardly inclined duct 48 (Fig. 6) and leads to the space beneath the motor diaphragm 44 of the primary valve. The diaphragm cham ber 49 of the primary valve communicates through the bore 41 and an inclined duct 50 (Fig. 5) with the space below the motor diaphragm 15 of the controlling valve; and the diaphragm chamber 16 of the controlling valve is at all times in free communication with the diaphragm chamber 49 of the This last shown in Fig.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that the diaphragm chambers 1G and 49 of the two valves are at all times in free communication with the wind chest through the hollow tenons 29 and duct 5.1. The spaces beneath the motor diaphragms 15 and 44 are-also normally in communication with the wind chest through the duct 50 and the bleed vent 45, so that both the controlling and primary valves occupy the `positions shown in Fig. 3, and the pneumatic is open to the atmosphere through the ducts 21 and controlling valve chamber 12, and is in expanded position. When atmospheric pressure is admittedto the tracker tube 8 through one of the ports of the tracker range, such pressure acting through the nipple 47 and duct 48 energizes the motor diaphragm 44 of the primary valve, raising said valve, and thereby cutting the duct 50 Off from the exhaust and connecting it with the atmosphere through the primary-valve chamber 36, The atmospheric pressure then acting through duct 50, similarly energizes the motor diaphragm 15 of the controlling valve, raising said valve into engagement with its upper seat 18, and thereby throwing the vacuum in the wind chest into communication with the interior of the power pneumatic through valve chamber 12 and ducts 21, thereby energizing the pneumatic. As soon as the port of the tracker range is covered, the suction, operating through the bleed vent 45, quickly restores the parts to normal position in a manner well understood in this type of apparatus.

Referring to the power pneumatic itself, the lower or movable leaf or side 52 is preferably made of some thin, light sheet-metal, tin being well adapted for the purpose; and the saine is connected at one end to the stationary side by a iiexible hinge The bellows cloth 54 which I employ is preferably a rubber cloth, and this is secured to the edges of the leaves of the pneumatic by cement. In applying the bellows cloth, the same is laid rubber side down on shellac cement previously coated on the edges of the pneumatic leaves, and a heated iron is passed over the cloth surface of the rubber cloth, whereby the latter is caused to adhere perfectly and in an air-tight manner to the edges of the leaves or sides of the pneumatic.

Secured to and extending beyond the rear end of the movable leaf 52 is an arm 55, to the free end of which is pivoted a link l56 which, in turn, is pivotally connected to one end of a lever 57, the other end of which lever is p'voted to the lower end of a bracket 58 that is secured by a screw 59 to one side of the nipple arm 46; the bracket 58 prefercentral offset 5 ably having a tooth or shoulder 6G overlying the free edge of the upper, stationary pneumatic section to hold the bracket 58 in rigid position, The lever 57 is formed with a that, as shown in Fig. 1, nigages an adjustable contact block 61 carried byan abstract rod 62 hat enga-ges and actuates they wippen (not shown) of the piano action. The construction last described, `embodying the principle of the compound lever, renders the stroke of the penumatic more even and uniform than is obtainable in the usual construction, wherein the arm carried by the movable pneumatic section directly engages the abstract rod.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my present invention improves the pneumatic player action in several particulars. By forming the valve boX and the stationary leaf of the power pneumatic in a singe cast-metal structure, a marked increase in simplicity and a considerable reduction in liability of leakage are obtained. The durability of the structure is also much enhanced4 The location and construction of the tracker-tube nipples, which are cast integral with the valve boX and pneumatic section, also contribute to these results. The described construction of primary valve and the location of the bleed vent in the motor diaphragm of the primary valve are also features which contribute to the eiiiciency and durability of the apparatus. The described means of securing the bellows cloth to the sides of the power pneumatic largely simplifies pre-existing struc-tures and renders the pneumatic more perfectly air-tight than has heretofore been possible. To those familiar with the art, it will be apparent that minor modifications and variations in the structures described and shown may be made without departing from the substance of the invention or sacrificing the benefits and advantages attained thereby. I-Ience the invention is not tied up to the precise structures and relative arrangements of parts disclosed except to the extent clearly indicated in specific claims.

y I claim:

1. In a pneumatic action for self playing musical instruments, a power pneumatic having a cast metal stationary side, and a cored cast meta-l housing integral with said cast metal side and providing a valve chamber, a diaphragm chamber, a port connecting said chambers, and a tracker-tube nipple.

2. In a pneumatic action for self playing musical instruments, a power pneumatic having a cast metal stationary side, and a cored cast metal housing integral with said cast metal side and providing a valve chamber, a diaphragm chamber, a port connecting said chambers, and a tracker-tube nipple, a metal movable side of said pneumatic, and a belloivs cloth cemented to and con necting `the edges of said stationary and movable sides,

3. In a pneumatic action for self playing musical instruments, a power pneumatic having a cast metal stationary side, and a cored cast metal housing integral With said east metal side and providing primary and controlling valve chambers, diaphragm cham- 10 diaphragm chambers, and a tracker-tube 15 nipple.

EMORY C. I-IISCOCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington. D. C. 

